Tape dispensers with slitters



Feb. 4, 1958 T. H. KRUEGER 2,822,046

TAPE DISPENSERS WITH SLITTERS Filed June 15. 1953 57 INVENTOR.

V i l I 45 6 7230102? .5? ffz'w gi l' BY v 4' v g0 15 5 M @mz 9 United States Patent TAPE DISPENSERS WITH SLITTERS Theodore Henry Krueger, Stratford, Conn, assignor to Better Packages Incorporated, a corporation of New York Application June 15, 1953, Serial No. 361,487

2 Claims. (Cl. 164-489) This invention relates to tape dispensers for dispensing tape from a roll and slitting the tape as dispensed so as to provide two or more narrow strips. The invention is particularly applicable to the dispensing of pressure sensitive adhesive tape and a machine for this purpose has been selected as the illustrative example of the invention. The invention may, however, be adapted to other uses.

There are a number of advantages in providing a tape dispenser with a slitter by which the tape may be furnished in narrow widths from a roll of greater width. One advantage is that a plurality of strips may be dispensed with a single motion of the operating lever. Another advantage is economy because the tape is less expensive in wider rolls than for the same area of tape in two or more narrow rolls. Reloading is also simplifled because a lesser number of rolls need be handled.

It is an object of the invention to provide a tape dispenser provided with a slitter of very simple and efiective form. A further object of the invention is to provide a dispenser which may be very easily reloaded without danger of cutting the fingers during the loading operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of one particular example of the invention chosen to illustrate the principles thereof.

-In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser showing the front and right hand side thereof;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of Figure l Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the feed rolls and the cover carrying the slitter thrown to open position;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a part of the cover fitted with a double slitter.

Referring to drawing in detail, the invention is illustrated in a small dispenser adapted for store counter use and the like for the dispensing of lightweight tape, such as pressure sensitive adhesive cellophane tape. .Obviously, the invention may be embodied in other types of machines. The dispenser shown comprises a casing 10, in which is mounted a roll of tape 12. The roll is shown as wound with the gummed side of the tape in. The strip of tape 14 coming from the roll passes over a series of feed discs 16, and then downwardly and forwardly over a series of peeler discs 18, which push the end of the tape through an opening 19 at the front of the machine and under a cutting or tear-01f blade 20. The peeler discs are driven in the same direction as the feed discs but at a higher rate of speed so that the tape does not adhere but is pushed out of the machine. The peripheries of the peeler discs are preferably toothed or knurled. The tape adheres to the feed discs with will ice cient tightness to enable the feed discs when rotated to draw the tape from the roll.

Any suitable means may be utilized for driving the feed and peeler discs. As shown, a lever 22 at the side of the machine is attached to a shaft 24, upon which is fixed a ratchet wheel 26, which is engaged by a pair of toothed cams or pawls 28 pressed into engagement with the wheel 26 by springs 30. A spring 32 serves to return the wheel 26 and lever 22 to starting position after each downward motion of the lever. The length of tape feed is determined by the distance through which the lever operates between a backstop 34 and an adjustable stop 36, which may be set in any desired position in arcuate slot 38. A scale 40 is provided for indicating the length of feed. The pawls 28 are pivoted on a driving gear 42 which meshes with an idler 44. This idler meshes with a pinion 46 on the shaft 48 on which the feed discs 16 are mounted and also meshes with a pinion 50 on the shaft 52 on which the peeler discs 18 are mounted. The pinion 46 is of larger diameter than pinion 50, so as to rotate the feed discs at a slower speed than the peeler discs. To prevent retrograde movement of the feed discs, a ratchet disc 54 engaged by a toothed cam or pawl 56 may conveniently be provided on the shaft 48.

Above the feed discs is mounted a cover plate 58 which is pivoted on pintles 60, located at the front of the casing of the machine so that the cover is opened by swinging it over towards the front of the machine as shown in Figure 4. The slitter device is mounted on the underside of this cover. As shown particularly in Figure 4, the device comprises a block 62, having a vertical slot 64 therein, which receives a cutter blade 66 held in the slot by means of a set screw 68. The block is preferably somewhat thicker than the Width of the blade and the slot does not extend all the way through the block so that the unslotted part of the block forms a sort of protective hood for the blade, lessening danger of injury to the operator when opening the cover. A turn button 69 may be provided for holding the cover in closed position. More than one slot and cutter blade may be provided if desired. For example, Figure 5 shows a block 62a provided with two slots and two cutter blades for slitting the tape into three strips.

When the cover is in open position as shown in Figure 4, it will be seen that the blade is entirely removed from the tape path so that the tape may be brought from the roll and passed forwardly and downwardly over the feed and peeler discs without danger of cutting the fingers. It is also possible to feed a strip of tape without slitting by operating the feed lever while the cover is thrown to open position. Also, the slitter blade may be removed if full width tape is desired. In the normal use of the machine, however, the cover plate 53 is turned down to the position shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, whereupon it will be seen that the slitter blade enters between two of the feed discs where it is located in the tape path and will slit the tape into two narrow strips as shown in Figure 1. Obviously, if more than one blade is provided, the tape will be slit into three or more still narrower strips. The strips may be readily cut off by merely being grasped between the fingers and drawn upward against the severing knife. Both strips may be torn off at once or one strip at a time may be taken at the option of the user.

It will be observed that the location of the slitter blade with the forward portion of its edge between two of the feed discs is very effective because the tape is firmly supported by the discs at each side of the blade and a positive cutting action is assured. The tape also passes in contact with the edge of the slitter blade in a diagonally longitudinal direction so that a draw cut action is secured which is very effective.

Under usual conditions, particularly if fairly stiff tape is being dispensed, the tape will beprojected olit of the machine by the peeler discs in such a way that the projected end may be-readily grasped and torn-off against the tearofl? blade. The tape contacts with only a fewteeth of the peeler discs and does not become adheredthereto. Inrnany cases, however, it is desirable'to provide'thin guide or deflector plates having surfaces which will guide the tape outwardly and away from contact with the peeler discs, after the tape has been in contact-with such discs through only a very small are. This preventsthe tape from lying in contact with any substantial part ofthe peripheries of the peeler discs between operative strokes of the machine. 'If the tape should-remain in such extended contact while the peeler discs were at rest, it might become adhered thereto in such a way that upon a subsequent stroke of the machine," there would be a tendency for the machine to lock, owing to the fact that the tape was in a firm adhesive contact with both the feed 'discs and the faster driven peeler discs. Forced operation of the machine under these conditions might damage-the machine or cause the peeler discs to carry theend of the tape around sufliciently to cause it to be fed into an inaccessible portion of the machine. Suchan occurrence necessitates careful removal of the improperly fed tape, and may require dismantling of the machine.

One form of such guide or deflector plates is shown in the drawings and comprises bodies 80 preferably of'yoke shape which engage the spacing discson the shaft 52 between the peeler discs 18. The bodies 80 have projecting nose portions 82 which engage the upper edge .84 of the front of the casing below the opening 19 and have outwardly projecting curved guide surfaces 86 over which the tape will slide as it is projected by the discs 18. The guide plates may be inserted or removed by removal of the tearoff blade carrying member. The dimensions of the yoke-shaped bodies 80 are such that when the tearoff blade member is in operative position, the bodies 80 will not pass through the open space at the front of -the casing. In the construction shown the tearofi blade carrying member is held in position by a pair of screws 88 which may either be removed or loosened sufficiently to permit the tearoff blade carrier to be tilted upwardly sufficiently to enable the removal or replacement of the deflector plates. It is desirable that this may be done easily, as it is sometimes desirable to add more deflector, plates or rearrange them, depending upon the number of strips into which the tape is slit.

In feeding pieces of tape longer than that for which the machine may be at the time set to deliver, it is often the practice to give two or more strokes to the operating lever before tearing off the piece of tape. Under these circumstances, if deflector plates were not used, the tape, lying upon the peeler discs, might become adhered thereto between strokes, in such a way as to produce the objectionable effect above noted. The deflector plates also hold the tape forwardly, so that it is not likely to come into contact with the front of the machine casing so as to adhere thereto. This sometimes occurs with very thin tape, particularly in damp weather when the tape becomes quite limp. In the event that the tape should be blown or deflected into contact with the front of the machine casing below the deflector plates, no serious harm will result, as the plates will deflect the tape forwardly so that 'a loop of tape will be formed between the tape and the point where the tape may have become adhered to the casing of the machine. This will permit the operator to insert his finger thereunder and readily strip the tape from the casing.

The guide edges of the deflector plates are very thin, and there is no danger of the tape becoming adhered thereto toan extent which would prevent the ready removal of the tape by the operator when the projected end is grasped and drawn up against the tearoif blade. The deflector means described may be used with or without a slitter device.

The deflector plate construction above described is not claimed herein as it forms the subject matter of a divisional application by me, filed October 31, 1957.

While I have illustrated anddescribed one,preferred embodiment in the invention, it willbe understood that variations in the particular mechanismemployed tare-with in the scope of the invention 1, thereforeydesire toscover the invention in whatever form its principles may be embodied.

What I claim is:

1. In a tape dispenser.havingaacasing provided with means for holding a roll of tape and with an opening in the top thereof and a discharge opening in the front thereof, feed discs for feeding tape mounted in the casing below the opening'of the top thereof and mounted'for rotation ahout a horizontal axis in-a direction to cause the upper elements of the disc surfaces to move inthe direc tion of the discharge opening so as to feed tape tled-zover'thetops of the discs toward said discharge:opening means for driving said discs in tape feeding direction, a coverpivoted at its front end to the casing nearthe 'dischargeendof the casing and swingable about a horizontal axis to-expose the feed discs to permit the threading oftape over said feed discs, and a slitter blade mounted on the under side of said cover and hav-inganedge extending longitudinally above the tape path as the tape passes in feeding engagement with said discs, a portion of said-edge intersectingsaid path-at a small angle when 't-he'cover is closed.

2. In a tape dispenser having a casing provided with means for holding a roll of tape and'withan opening in the top thereof, and a discharge opening in front-thereof, and having rotating feed means mounted'for rotation about a horizontal axis-below the opening-in the-topzof the casing, said feed means being mountedfon rotation 'in a direction to draw tape from the roll of tapeand direct it over the top of said feed means to said discharge opening and in which there is a cover pivoted to the casing for swinging movement about ahorizontal-axisto a position inwhi'ch it covers the opening in the'top of the casinglor to a reverse position in which its under' side is-exposed, the novel combination characterized by said cover having a blade holder mounted on the under sidethereof,;,and a blade mounted in saidbladeholder andhavingoneeiid shrouded thereby so asto protect "the operatorfrom injury by that part of the blade when the'cover 'is open; and having another part-of the blade exposed so that when the cover is moved to a position for covering the opening in the casing, the exposed part-of the bladewill intersect the tape path as the tape passes over. and is fed by contact with the tape feed means.

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